Jesus is the Ladder
The story in Genesis 28, commonly referred to as “Jacob’s ladder” is a popular Bible passage, and yet its richness is often lost on us. On the road to Emmaus, in Luke 24, Jesus teaches us to look for Him in all the Bible. But He goes even further than that—He’s not just there. He’s the whole point:
“And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” - Luke 24:25-27
We’re talking about a new way of reading Genesis to Revelation. Jesus isn’t hiding in the background of every passage like a Where’s Waldo sketch. But the rich themes of Jesus’ person and His work of redemption by prophecy, typology, allusion, and by many other means all point to Jesus, who is the main concern of God’s Word.
In Genesis 28, Jacob dreams about a ladder—a word that can also mean staircase. And what he sees is heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending stairs. Some, like scholar Richard Baukham, argue that what’s in view is something like the ziggurats, constructed in ancient Mesopotamia, which can be described as rectangular-shaped towers, often with a temple at the top. The idea espoused by those who built them were that you must climb them to meet with God, often at great heights. But the interesting thing is how Genesis 28 describes what takes place next. In verse 13 and on, Moses describes the scene and the Lord’s words to Jacob:
“And behold, the Lord stood above it* and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring.” (13)
I suppose we often take for granted that the Lord is said to stand above the stairs, and yet you will notice in your Bible a note next to the phrase (in the ESV) “above it” which reads, “or beside him.” The latter interpretation is firmed up when we look down at verse 15. After reiterating to Jacob the promise made originally to Abraham in verse 14, that his “offspring shall be like the dust of the earth…” he says in verse 15, “Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” There seems to be a sense that instead of Jacob climbing up the ladder to God, that God has come down to him. Jacob concludes that the special presence of God is where He is. Not above the clouds, but down below, on the way to Haran. He says, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.”
We get the sense that this revelation of God on the road to Haran carries even more of the resin of redemption when we consider Jesus’ calling of Phillip and Nathaneal in John 1. “Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” - John 1:49-51.
Jesus is quoting Genesis 28, the account of Jacob’s dream. What are the angels of God ascending and descending on in Genesis 28? A stairway or ladder, as we said. But what does Jesus say, here? That Nathaneal will see the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man. Who is the Son of Man? He is. By this reference, Jesus reveals something profound about Jacob’s dream. And what he reveals is that Jacob’s ladder points to Jesus, Himself. The one who describes himself in chapter 10 of John as the door, or in chapter 14:6 as the “The Way, the Truth, and Life” is also describing himself in chapter 1 as the ladder—the way to heaven. Only, unlike what the false religions of ancient Mesopotamia espoused, we don’t have the climb the ladder. God, Himself—Jesus, has opened heaven and come down to us. And by faith in Him, there is a day coming when we will rise to God in resurrection.
God’s Word is amazing!
